FREEFORM to show Rudolph and Frosty this Holiday season!

FREEFORM (ABC Disney) announced they will be showing the Rankin/Bass classics that air annually on CBS, Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer and Frosty the Snowman this Holiday season. Also mentioned are Santa Claus Is Comin' To Town and The Little Drummer Boy. While this is great exposure for Rankin/Bass and my work, I can't help but think that these will be heavily edited versions sent out to this audience. It is great that a broader audience gets to see them on AMC (I believe they show uncut) and FREEFORM, but I really wish the classics would get a proper restoration and would be shown the way the Producers intended them to be shown. Too many classics are treated as a commodity, with very little care given to the artistic side of things. #freeform #Rudolphtherednosedreindeer #frostythesnowman #santaclausiscomintotown #thelittledrummerboy #rankinbass #books #history

FAMILY FEUD

C. 2012 Miser Bros Press/Rick Goldschmidt Archives

Just solved a family dispute over a line in Rankin/Bass' Santa Claus Is Comin' To Town (Which aired on ABC FAMILY tonight), with Arthur's copy of the script right next to me.  The line in question:  "Willy Willow, Peter Pine, release the Kringle."

The RANKIN/BASS ABC FAMILY Christmas schedule 2011

Monday, December 5
(6:00-7:00 PM ET/PT) RUDOLPH'S SHINY NEW YEAR

Tuesday, December 6
(6:00- 6:30 PM ET/PT) 'TWAS THE NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS

Thursday, December 8
(6:00-7:00 PM ET/PT) JACK FROST
(7:00-7:30 PM ET/PT) FROSTY'S WINTER WONDERLAND
(8:00-9:00 PM ET/PT) SANTA CLAUS IS COMIN' TO TOWN
(9:00-10:00 PM ET/PT) THE YEAR WITHOUT A SANTA CLAUS

Friday, December 9
(6:00-7:00 PM ET/PT) THE YEAR WITHOUT A SANTA CLAUS
(7:00-8:00 PM ET/PT) SANTA CLAUS IS COMIN' TO TOWN

Wednesday, December 14
(6:00-6:30 PM ET/PT) FROSTY'S WINTER WONDERLAND

Saturday, December 17
(7:00-7:30 AM ET/PT) NESTOR, THE LONG-EARED CHRISTMAS DONKEY
(7:30-8:00 AM ET/PT) THE LITTLE DRUMMER BOY
(8:00-9:00 AM ET/PT) PINOCCHIO'S CHRISTMAS
(10:00-10:30 AM ET/PT) 'TWAS THE NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS
(11:00 AM -12:00 PM ET/PT) JACK FROST
(12:00-1:00 PM ET/PT) THE YEAR WITHOUT A SANTA CLAUS
(2:00-3:00 PM ET/PT) SANTA CLAUS IS COMIN' TO TOWN
(3:00-3:30 PM ET/PT) FROSTY'S WINTER WONDERLAND
(10:00-11:00 PM ET/PT) SANTA CLAUS IS COMIN' TO TOWN

Wednesday, December 21
(12:00-1:00 AM ET/PT) RUDOLPH'S SHINY NEW YEAR

Saturday, December 24
(7:00-7:30 AM ET/PT) THE LITTLE DRUMMER BOY
(7:30-8:00 AM ET/PT) THE LITTLE DRUMMER BOY BOOK II
(10:00-11:00 AM ET/PT) PINOCCHIO'S CHRISTMAS
(11:00-11:30 AM ET/PT) 'TWAS THE NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS
(11:30 AM-1:30 PM ET/PT) RUDOLPH & FROSTY'S CHRISTMAS IN JULY
(4:00-5:00 PM ET/PT) JACK FROST
(6:00-7:00 PM ET/PT) RUDOLPH'S SHINY NEW YEAR
(7:00-8:00 PM ET/PT) SANTA CLAUS IS COMIN' TO TOWN
(8:00-9:00 PM ET/PT) THE YEAR WITHOUT A SANTA CLAUS

Sunday, December 25
(7:30-8:30 AM ET/PT) JACK FROST(8:30-9:30 AM ET/PT) PINOCCHIO'S CHRISTMAS(9:30-10:00 AM ET/PT) FROSTY'S WINTER WONDERLAND(10:00-10:30 AM ET/PT) 'TWAS THE NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS(10:30-11:30 AM ET/PT) RUDOLPH'S SHINY NEW YEAR(11:30 AM-12:30 PM ET/PT) SANTA CLAUS IS COMIN' TO TOWN(12:30-1:30 PM ET/PT) THE YEAR WITHOUT A SANTA CLAUS

* Maybe they (ABC FAMILY) will have one of us on to talk about the RANKIN/BASS Specials, that are such a BIG part of their Holiday line-up! I heard from CBS SUNDAY MORNING and ARTHUR RANKIN yesterday :)

c. 1970 RANKIN/BASS PRODUCTIONS/RICK GOLDSCHMIDT ARCHIVES

ABC FAMILY is having a RANKIN/BASS day this Saturday with heavily edited RANKIN/BASS specials all day :)

posted by Thomas Frederick

MISER BROS CHRISTMAS

Watching that new MISER BROS CHRISTMAS thing on ABC FAMILY was like watching a train wreck. I knew it would be bad BUT could not believe how awful it was! I had to turn it off after about 5 minutes. RANKIN/BASS classic Holiday TV specials have lasted over forty years....things like this last about 5 minutes and then are forgotten about forever.